The topics for next year’s prize essays have now been published. This time it is students from Aarhus BSS who have a special opportunity to prove their academic ability – and perhaps take the first step on the road to a future research career.

2018.05.22 | Louise Asmund-Hjorth

[Translate to English:] Foto: Lars Kruse

Each year, institutes or faculties at Aarhus University can choose to set a number of prize essays, the best of which are awarded a gold medal. A prize essay is an obvious way of profiling your knowledge, and this time it is students from Aarhus BSS who can try their hand at the academic discipline.

The best essays will be awarded a gold medal or a mark of ‘accessit’. The gold medal bears the Aarhus University seal and the inscription ‘Solidum petit in profundis’ (‘We seek solid ground in the depths’) on the front, while the recipient’s name and the year it was awarded will appear on the back. An ‘accessit’ will be accompanied by a cash sum.

The following prize essays have been set for 2019:

Prize essays at the Department of Law

The Department of Law has set two prize essays.

One is from the Centre for Law and Digitalisation and is entitled:

• ‘Responsibilities for the development, distribution and use of new technologies (artificial intelligence, IoT etc.)’.

The second has been set within the Max Sørensen scheme, with the title:

• ‘Interpretation and application of treaties’.

All submissions must be sent to prisopgave.bss@au.dk in PDF format (one file per submission).  

The deadline for submission of essays is 12.00 noon on Thursday 1 August 2019.

The other faculties of the University did not choose to set prize essays for 2019. 

Prize essays at Aarhus University

A prize essay may have up to 3 authors. If a paper has more than one author, the contribution of each author must be clearly distinguishable. It must be clear from the paper itself or from an attached declaration who is responsible for what.

When submitting a prize essay, the author(s) must declare in writing that the paper has not previously been submitted to the same or another educational establishment for assessment. This declaration must also contain the person’s name, address, and date and year of birth (for use in issuing certificates).

The prize consists either of a gold medal or a mark of ‘accessit’, where the gold medal is the higher accolade. An ‘accessit’ will be accompanied by a cash sum. The rector will issue a certificate stating that the faculty in question has decided to award the university’s gold medal or an ‘accessit’ for the paper. The dean can determine that a prize essay should be converted to a master’s thesis. However, this is subject to prior approval from the Academic Council.

A copy of each paper will be filed in the faculty archives, from which it may be borrowed by persons who have obtained the written consent of the author(s).

The assessment can be expected to be completed 3 months after submission.

The prize essays have been set according to the rules on prize essays at Aarhus University, adopted by the Aarhus University Board on 27 May 2005 and last updated on 24 April 2017